


Detroit: Become Human - Short Story Collection

by HazelTheHorrific



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M, Multi, One Shot, Other, Short
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27903844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelTheHorrific/pseuds/HazelTheHorrific
Summary: Oh boy, here I am, writing this. I have been debating this idea for a while, and even though it might overwhelm me a little I think it's something I'll really enjoy!Here, I'm going to write random short stories that'll most likely, on average, be about 3-7 chapters long. I have so many AU ideas and little things I wanna write that can't be done in just one oneshot, but also aren't long enough for a full-blown story. Those will find themselves here, in no exact order.I'll keep the titles of these different stories consistent so they're easy to link together and tell apart since I might work on numerous stories at once. I can always rearrange the chapters too, so they shouldn't get too jumbled but I'm small brain so you never really know.I hope you all enjoy this! I'd appreciate any and all comments and votes, I love to interact with you all and I love to hear what you have to say about my work and my ideas!
Relationships: Kara/Luther (Detroit: Become Human), Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Original Chloe | RT600/North, Ralph/Rupert Travis, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Kudos: 5





	1. Detroit Daycare | Part 1

"Good morning Hope!" Tina grinned brightly as she hurried through the daycare door, her little hand holding tightly to Gavin's which, in turn, held on to Elijah's. "Good morning, Tina." a woman (Who little Tina had the biggest crush on) with dazzling blue eyes and blonde hair, tied into a ponytail and draped over her left shoulder, smiled brightly as she held open the front door of Detroit Daycare, letting the three kids run by. She wore her usual favourite white dress, the sleeves cut off just above her elbows and the skirt drifting just past her knees. 

"Mornin', Hope." Elijah, the eldest of the three at 13, smiles, and waves with his free hand at the girl he considers a sister. Hope, the blonde girl, shuts the door again and stands at it's side in await for the rest of the children soon to arrive. Tina continues to drag Gavin into the heart of the daycare, Elijah staying behind to talk to Hope about one thing or another.

"Hello, Chloe!" Tina grinned at the other blonde who worked the daycare (Who Tina also had the biggest crush on). Chloe, who was hastily tidying up the already-tidy place, was Hope's twin. The two looked nearly identical, told apart solely by the color of the dresses they wore. Chloe wore the same dress as her sister, though it was a dark navy blue. Chloe waved back with a smile, preoccupied with reorganizing the book shelf in the far right corner of the room. "I'm gonna-" Tina cut herself off halfway through her words, which were going to be that she was going to help Chloe with the bookshelf, when she spotted three other kids and her eyes brightened, a cheeky grin growing on her face. "Gavvy, let's go play with Concon!!" she tugged on the sleeve of Gavin's black shirt, flashing her biggest puppy-dog eyes. Connor was sat on the other side of the room, scribbling away at a piece of paper with his triplet brothers, Sixty and Conan, doing the same in the seats beside him. Tina loved to try and play cupid between her best friend and his crush, Conan. 

"What?!" Gavin frowns, his face going just a little bit red at the thought of hanging out with Conan, "No way!" He tugs his hand free of Tina's grasp and crosses his arms, pouting, "I don't wanna play with them." Tina saw right through his antisocial facade and grabbed his arm again, setting off in a run and almost tugging him right off of his feet. "Hey!!" he exclaims, but Tina doesn't stop as she makes her way across the room to the table. 

"Good morning!" Tina beams, a social butterfly as always. "Can me and Gavvy draw with you?" Gavin stares at the floor with a grimace as the three lookalikes turn in unison to stare at the both of them with very different expressions. Connor looked almost nervous at the sight of Gavin, who was often rude to him, but smiled brightly nonetheless. Sixty, Connor's carbon-copy, looked unamused. The last of the three, Conan, glanced at Gavin for the quickest second before looking away again, though his ice-blue eyes began to glow with happiness. 

"Yeah! There's more paper here!" Connor pointed to the table where a stack of paper and colorful crayons sat scattered about, ready to be used and catching Gavin's attention at last. "You can sit over here, too, if you wanna." Connor pointed to the chairs on the other side of the table. Tina beamed impossibly brighter and continued to drag Gavin around the table. She pulled a chair out for him, pushing him into it and taking her own beside him. Gavin realized he was now sitting across from Conan, who scribbled with a blue crayon and was clearly trying not to glance up at the new addition to the table. 

"What are you draaaaawing?" Tina sits on her chair with her knees tucked underneath her, elbows propped up on the table so she could lean over it and attempt to catch a glimpse of Conan's artwork. He blushes blue, and covers it with his arm, shrugging his shoulders. 

"Nothing," is all he says in return. His voice is as flat as ever. Gavin tilts his head at him, catching shreds of blue and red on the paper, curiosity beginning to bloom in his chest. He pushes it away with a shrug of his own and grabs his own piece of paper from the pile, taking a black crayon too. 

"I'm drawing Sumo!" Connor is more than willing to show off his art. He spins the paper around, sliding it proudly across the table with a beaming grin. "Look, isn't he cute?" as if summoned by the little boys drawing, the gentle-giant of a dog comes lumbering in through the massive dog flap in the door to the play yard. He comes bounding over excitedly at the sight of Connor, his obvious favourite, letting out deep, rumbling barks that would be frightening to anyone who hadn't seen how precious this dog really is. "Sumo!" Connor grins wider and hops from his seat to wrap his arms around the dogs neck, pressing their faces together. Sixty shifts in his chair, spinning so that he could reach out a hand and gently pat Sumo's head. Even Tina leaped from her seat- directly onto the table, mind you- to cross over to the Saint Bernard. 

"Yuck..." Gavin muttered to himself, glaring at the pup and shaking his head. Conan finally looked up from his work, tilting his head and quirking a brow. 

"Yuck?" he questions, and Gavin looks over at him. For a moment grey and blue eyes meet, and then Gavin looks away with a reddening face. 

"Yeah, yuck." he repeats, "I don't like dogs." Conan smiles, a little thing that rarely ever happens. Gavin catches it out of the corner of his eye and lifts his head once more. Now it was his turn to tilt his head. Looking quickly over at his brothers, Conan leans forwards and says in a hushed tone,

"I don't really like dogs either. Cats are calmed- and cuter, too." Conan's little smile stays on his face, and Gavin can't help but let a teeny tiny one of his own show through. Conan's smile widens into a cheeky grin that is almost frightening. It was obvious that Conan didn't smile very often. "You can smile?" he lets out a chuckle and in return the smile is wiped from Gavin's face and replaced by a frown, letting his gaze drop back to his drawing. Conan goes quiet, and then begins to frown as Gavin sketches furiously on his page. A moment passes where Conan just watches Gavin, and then it clicks that he's offended the boy. "I'm sorry." Gavin stops in his tracks, and looks up at Conan.

"What?" Gavin's eyes are still angry, and he still frowns. 

"For hurting your feelings." Conan responds, and picks up his blue crayon. "Here," he picks up his paper, and extends it out to Gavin. "If it makes you feel a little better you can have my drawing." Hesitant, Gavin reached out for the gift and carefully took it form Conan. He turned it around to look at it properly, taking in the little details. It was... surprising, how good it was. It was a lot better than Gavin's drawings, at least. From what he could make out, it was a drawing of Conan with another character he didn't recognize wearing a black shirt. "It's... It's you and me." Gavin turns red. 

"Awwwwwwwwwww!!" Tina pops out of nowhere from beneath the table, leaping up and wrapping her silly-band covered arms around Gavin's neck. She peered down at the artwork, grinning as brightly as the sun, and whispered something in his ear with a giggle that Conan didn't hear. Whatever it was, it turned Gavin somehow redder, and the little boy shook her off and rocketed from his seat. He glanced at Conan one more time, and then over at Tina, who was still smiling, before stomping away towards Hope and Elijah who still stood by the door. Conan frowned again as he spotted his drawing still set on the table, and reached back over to grab it. If Gavin didn't want it, then that was too bad. Tina wasn't smiling anymore. Instead, she looked confused and a little bit hurt or guilty or maybe both. 

"What'd you say?" Conan asks, standing from his own seat, but Tina only shrugs.

"Nothing mean. He's just being a grump." Gavin had slumped to the floor, arms and legs crossed, against the wall beside Hope. The girl broke from her conversation with Elijah and knelt at his side, though she was interrupted mid-sentence as the door was pushed open and an old man stepped inside with five rambunctious kids pushing in past him. 

"Connor! Connor Connor Connor Connor Connor!!!" a girl with red hair and a mischievous grin bolted across the room to Connor's side. "We have to play castle!! I know how to save you now! I was thinking about it all night and I made the perfect plan to kill the dragons and get you out safe and sound!" North rolled back and forth on the balls of her feet, hands balled into fists as she chattered excitedly. "I have my noble nights with me this time!" North spun on her heel, pointing over at Markus, Simon, Josh and Daniel, still standing at Carl's side and speaking politely to Hope and Chloe. With one final pat of Sumo's head, Connor stood up, nodding happily and hurrying over to the play castle. It was taller than Connor, with a staircase up to a top floor and little doorways on the left and right of the stairs leading into the castle itself. North crawled into the castle through the little doors, disappearing from sight for a moment before backing out again with a foam sword and a princess hat, which she placed on top of Connor's head. 

"Knight time! Knight time!" Markus came chanting over to the two just as Carl had turned to leave, the rest of the crew right on his tail. Markus had his own sword, a blue one from a block-building video game. "I'll save you, your highness!!" he said, puffing out his chest as Connor scaled the steps up into the top of the castle. 

"Where's the dragons?" Simon turned to glance around, spotting Conan and Sixty still sitting at the table. Sixty had resumed his drawing, but Conan just stared at his rejected gift with a blank expression. 

"Get over here, you two!" North ran to them and bopped the older kids on the head. "We need our dragons!!" Sixty let out a sigh, and stood from his seat. He was 3 years older than North, who was only 8, and the little girl looked up to him like he was a king or something like that. He never really understood why, he was nothing special, but North says it's because he's a 'bad-a'. 

"Are you coming, Conan?" Sixty asked, but Conan didn't answer. Sixty tried (and failed) to snap his fingers in front of his eyes, and despite his failure, dragged him from his stupor. He whipped to face Sixty, his face a pale dusty blue, and then he shook his head. 

"No, I'm sorry." 

"What!!" North's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide, horrified, absolutely 10000000% devastated. "We can't just have one dragon! My plan is made to kill two!" Conan stands from his chair, and pats little North's head. 

"Then won't it just be more easy?" North shakes her head, and her sword droops to the floor. 

"No! I have one move where I need to jump off of your dead body to kill Sixy!" her puppy-dog eyes are hard to say no to, but Conan wants to go find and talk to Gavin. He feels bad for... doing whatever it is that he did, even if he doesn't know exactly what that is.

"Maybe... Hope or Chloe will be the dragon!" Conan's suggestion it met with a brightened smile once more, and North nods her head, running back to the group to share the change of cast. Sixty glances at Conan one more time, skeptical and curious about his sudden dull mood. He always played with the younger kids. Then, Sixty turned, hurrying off to embrace his big, bag dragon side. Gavin was still sitting by the door, and didn't even lift his head as North raced up to demand Hope or Chloe's help. She had managed to convince Chloe to come be the dragon, and Elijah patted Gavin's head as he went to watch the game of Castle. Hope did the same. Now, Gavin was left alone to sulk, wishing he had brought over some of the crayons and paper. 

"Stupid Tina..." he grumbled to himself, still pouting. "I'm not sitting in a tree! Never ever, especially not with Conan." He couldn't even convince himself of those words. He did think Conan was very nice, and kind and sweet- and maybe just a little tiny itty bit handsome. His dad had always told him that he'd start liking girls a lot as he grew up, but he didn't like Tina. He liked Conan- like, like like. He stuck out his tongue in disgust at the thought. Icky. 

"What did you say about trees?" Gavin's head snapped up, and then he let it fall back down as Conan took a seat in front of him. Instead of pursuing the earlier question, he opened his arms and let the shocking amount of LEGO bricks spill onto the floor. "Look," Conan said, and set down what he'd been holding in his hand. It was a little LEGO cat. "Wanna make her a kitty house?" Gavin perked up, and nodded his head without saying a word. After a few minutes, Conan finally voiced his concern. "Are you okay, Gav?" he tilts his head, setting down the wall he had been focused on building. Gavin shrugs his shoulders. 

"Yeah," is all he says in return. The two continue to build in silence until the little home for their kitty friend is finished. It's made of different coloured bricks and it's kind of ugly, but it's their kitty home and they love it. With proud smiles, they end up carrying it over to Hope, showing it off with their chests puffed out. 

"Well look at this!" Hope takes the house in her delicate hands, lifting it up to peer at the cat inside. "Who's this little cat?" Gavin and Conan shared a glance. They hadn't actually named it. 

"Why don't you name it Ms. Hope?" Gavin asks with a soft smile that almost didn't seem to fit his face. It was wider, more genuine than any he'd smiled in Conan's presence before. "If it's okay with Conan!" Gavin rushed out the last part, turning to his new... the kid beside him. Conan nodded his head.

"You can name her!" Hope tapped her chin, letting out a hum as if she were deep in thought. She pondered for a moment, and then, with an 'aha!' her smile grew. 

"What about Pepper?" both boys glanced at each other, their own smiles returning, and then they nodded in unison. "Alright! Pepper it is!" Hope stood upright again, "Follow me!" you scurried away towards the table, going right past it and into the kitchen. Both Gavin and Conan gasped. They weren't allowed in the secret kitchen! Hope opened the door for them and gave them a cheeky wink. "Don't touch anything and you can come in for a moment!" They didn't pass up the opportunity, gazing around in awe. Through their distraction they didn't notice Hope grab a sharpie off of a shelf, scribbling 'Pepper's Home' on the top of the kitty house. "Ta-da!" with a flourish, she bends over to present the new writing at the kids' eye level. They're smiling widely now, and Gavin takes the home back. 

"Thank you Ms. Hope!!" Conan exclaims, and Hope pats both of their heads before letting them rush back out of the kitchen, talking about making a kitty pool next. She is just so glad that they're finally getting along.


	2. Detroit Daycare | Part 2

"Thank you, my noble night!" Connor grins as he twirls in a circle, ending by catching North in a crushing hug. It's amazing that his princess hat stays on through it all. "You freed me from my tower!" 

"Of course I did, your highness!" North giggles as she tries to struggle out of Connor's grasp. The boy finally lets her go and she turns to extend her arms towards the rest of the group, "I couldn't have done it without my friends!" 

"Awwww, Northy!" Simon beams at her compliment and now it's his turn to wrap her in a hug. She lets out a groan, pushing away from him but still smiling brightly.

"Nevermind, I totally could have won without your help, Si!" her tone is mischievous as she finally breaks free from Simon's grasp. "Can we go outside? I wanna play tag!" North bounces up and down on her toes, balling her hands into fists, her eyes gleaming with energy. Markus smiles at her idea, as does both Josh and Daniel. 

"I can go ask miss Chloe!" Simon offers, racing away before anyone can say anything else. Chloe is standing by the door, just shutting it as the last of the children arrive. "Can we go outside, miss Chloe?" his tone is polite as he rocks back and forth on his heels, earning a smile from the adult and a nod as well. Simon's smile widens as he pumps his fist victoriously, spinning on his heel and racing back to the group. "Yea, we can go outside!!" Simon takes Markus and Daniel by the hand, racing away with North, Josh, Connor and Sixty all right behind them. They pass by Gavin and Conan sitting by the door, but Sixty ushers them on before they can ask the two to come outside with them. 

"Can we come out too?" Kara calls as she steps out of the closet where she had deposited her jacket. She holds a little fox plush in one hand, and her adoptive brother, Ralph's hand in the other. 

"Ralph would like to go outside and check on the flowers!" 

"Yeah, come on!!" Connor is quick to agree, and the group grows in size as they make it to the door. The three other resident triples, Jerry, James and Jay also join the cluster of kids as Chloe opens the door. Outside, the sun is shining and not a cloud is in the sky. Another kid, Rupert, who always arrived early and had already been sitting outside, startled as the kids burst out, watching the few birds he'd basically tamed flutter away in a flurry. 

"Rupert!" Ralph's hand leaves Kara's as he changes directions to hurry to his friend. "How are you? Ralph wants to know if you've tamed more birdies! Can Ralph meet these birdies too?" Rupert and Ralph spent their days out in the garden befriending the few animals that liked to come by. The pigeons were the ones who showed up the most, and Rupert and Ralph were quickly gaining their trust. Rupert, sitting cross-legged on the concrete, glanced up at Ralph with a soft smile. He had always been shy, but Ralph was his best friend and was the only one who ever saw his grin. 

"They all flew away, but they'll be back soon, I know they will be." Rupert patted the spot beside him. "I was checking your flowers earlier- there are new baby sprouts!" The moment Ralph had sat down he leaped to his feet again, racing to the little row of planters that he, Rupert, Chloe and Hope tended to. Rupert wandered over moments later as Ralph dropped to his knees, tilting his head at different angles and parting the flowers with delicate hands to spot the new sprouts coming through. 

"Ralph thinks the new sprouts are adorable. Ralph thinks your flowers are going to be so pretty!" he mumbles under his breath, that smile never fading for a moment as Rupert sinks to his knees beside him, listening as his friend continued to mutter to the plants. As the two poked around with the flowers, the other kids had flocked the playground equipment, starting up a game of classic tag. Daniel and Simon cowered at the top of the equipment, watching the chaos below them. Josh was currently it, and he was also the fastest other than Connor and Sixty. North was hidden underneath the stairs leading up the equipment itself, snickering into her hand as she watched Josh zip by in pursuit of Markus. Both Connor and Sixty had climbed on top of the monkey bars- Sixty had scaled them first, and Connor had only gone up so he could be safe from being tagged while he tried to convince Sixty to come back down since it wasn't fair to the littler kids. Kara was waiting by the slide to make a quick evacuation, and the three redheaded triplets were all scatted on the ground below, watching the chase with exhilaration. 

"Ha!" Josh let out a victorious bought of laughter as he finally managed to reach Markus, tapping him in the shoulder. "You're it!" he was quick to whip around again as Markus spun to tag him right back, missing by a hair. Then, his gaze turned to Simon and Daniel atop the playground, not having had to run at all yet. His grin grew mischievous as he raced for the stairs North was still hiding under, leaping up them and prompting Kara to leap onto the slide. He dove to tag her, and missed yet again. Now, Simon and Daniel knew they'd be the next targets. 

"Run!!" Daniel cried, and turned to the large metal pole, grabbing at it with both hands and sliding down to safety. Simon was smiling too as Markus raced for him, but he managed to slip over the side of the equipment onto a ladder and duck out of reach just in time. 

"Cant' catch me, Markus!" Simon taunts, watching his best friend move for the pole and slide down in Daniel's wake. Simon just hits the ground as Markus does the same, and backpedals swiftly to avoid yet another tag. "Missed me, missed me! Now you've gotta-" Simon cuts himself off before he can finish the rhyme, heat rising to his face as he turns and starts sprinting away. Lucky for him, Markus hadn't noticed his near slip up, and it seems North didn't either, or else she'd compromise her hiding place with loud giggling. The chase continues, and Simon manages to make it back onto the playground and down the slide Kara had taken earlier without being tagged. His feet hit solid ground at the base of the slide again as Markus followed down after him, seemingly determined to prove the blonde boy wrong. Setting off again, Simon casts a glance over his shoulder, lifting his foot forwards in it's usual course only for his face to go pale as it catches on his other leg. 

"Simon!" Markus gasps out as his friend flies for the ground, landing painfully on one knee and letting out a cry. "Simon, are you okay?" Markus is at his side in an instant, watching as Simon shifts to pull his knee up to his chest. He had worn shorts today, so the skin had been exposed to the roughness of the concrete and had been rubbed away, leaving a red spot that began to bleed. 

"Oh no!" Daniel appeared too, and soon North, Josh, the triples and Connor were all hurrying to Simon's side. "Are you alright?" Simon's eyes were welling with tears at the burning pain, but he nodded his head, gritting his teeth to stop from crying. "I'll go get Chloe!" Daniel hurried away again. 

"Woah," North scooted a little closer, "Poor Simon!" she frowns and pats his head, before wrapping her arms around him in a hug that he can't help but smile at. "You gotta be more careful, Si, you're always falling over!" 

"Maybe that's enough tag for today..." Josh's suggestion was met with Simon shaking his head. 

"No! Don't stop because of me, you guys can keep playing!" averting his gaze back to his bleeding knee as he spoke, he felt his frown return again. He didn't want to ruin their fun! He felt Markus' hand on his shoulder, and lifted his gaze to meet that of his best friend. 

"Are you sure, Simon? We don't want you to be sad." ignoring Markus' words, Simon finds a smile, and nods his head. 

"Technically I'm it now." he points out, and turns to Connor, lunging out to tag him. "Go get Sixty!" The kids surrounding Simon break away again as Connor races off towards the monkey bars where Sixty is still sat. It's easy for him to jump, catching the third monkey bar and using the momentum to swing and tap Sixty's foot. Chloe is at Simon's side moments later, and she, Simon and Daniel head inside to patch up his knee. The three step back into the building, Simon limping on his one leg as he's led to the table. He smiles shyly at Conan and Gavin who were now sitting by the bookshelf with LEGO bricks scattered around them. 

"Are you alright?" Conan asks, a frown scrawling itself over his face. Simon nods his head, and Conan watches him limp his way over and take a seat at the table where Tina currently sat, scribbling away at her page. 

"Woah!!" she gasps as she spots Simon's injured knee, "Cool, blood!" She drops her crayon and hops from her seat, trying to get a close view only to be shooed away by a smiling Chloe. 

"Why don't you go and play with Gavin and Conan?" she suggests, and Tina seems just as interested in that idea as she was with invading Simon's personal space. The little girl gives an enthusiastic agreement and skips her way over to the two boys, dropping to sit beside them as Gavin lets out a huff. 

"Hey Gavvy! What'cha makin'?" she leans on over, her head falling onto his shoulder as she peers over at the bricks he'd clicked together in his hands. "Can I help?" Gavin is about to decline, absolutely humiliated by the thought of Tina seeing him enjoying himself in Conan's presence, but the other boy answers first with a nod and a welcoming smile. 

"We're making a pool for Pepper," Conan lifts up the little cat, who had been clicked on top of her little house, "She's probably hot with all the sun." Tina sits upright again, and holds out her hands, Conan setting Pepper's Home in her palms. She lets out an 'awwwww!' and sets it down beside her. 

"Where'd you get that? I've never seen a cat here before." Tina tilts her head as Gavin continues clicking blocks together, the smile that had previously been on his face wiped away and replaced by a blank expression and a hint of redness to his cheeks. Conan smiles a little wider and lets out a little laugh before leaning close and whispering out,

"I took it from Sixty's backpack. He doesn't know- shhh!" Tina breaks out into giggling, already loving Conan. They had never really talked much before now, but he was funny, and not as much of a goody-two-shoes as she had thought. 

"I'm glad you're making more funny friends, Gavvy! It was a lot of work being the only one!" Tina nudges him with her elbow, giggling away, and he scoffs, shaking his head. 

"I'm not his friend, we're just playing with LEGO beside each other." Tina sees the smile fade from Conan's face, and the way Gavin shrinks further into himself. Tina sighs, and the three continue to play in silence until the pool is entirely completed. "There!" Gavin is the first to speak again in an attempt to ease the tension, and it seems to do the trick enough for Conan's frown to drift away into a blank face, just like Gavin's. "Now Pepper can be nice and cool." He sets the finished pool down in the middle after clearing the leftover bricks to the side, and Conan sets Pepper down in the center. Gavin lifts his head as Hope steps out of the kitchen with two bowls in hand, Elijah stepping out behind her with two of his own. 

"Is it...?" Tina asks, also spotting the bowls, and then her trademark grin returns as Hope catches her eyes from across the room and nods her head. "Lunch time!!" she's on her feet in an instant, and Gavin and Conan both follow her to the table. Gavin's stomach gives off a low rumble as he spots the food, one of his personal favorites, macaroni and cheese! He slides into a seat, Conan taking the one beside him Tina sits on the other, Simon and Daniel already sitting across from them. 

"I'll go tell Chloe lunch is ready." Elijah offers, Hope nodding in return as he heads for the door. Gavin, Tina and Conan wait patiently as Chloe dips back into the kitchen and returns with more bowls of pasta. 

"Hungry?" she asks as she sets them down, and Tina nods her head eagerly. "Of course, I should have guessed." she sends the three a smile, her gaze lingering on Gavin and Conan for a moment as her smile seems to grow a little more before she turns to the kitchen yet again. "You three can start to eat if you'd like!" she calls from the other room, and she doesn't have to ask twice. Tina leans over the table, grabbing a bowl for herself as Gavin does the same, though he grabs two. Sliding the second to Conan, he smiles gently at him in a silent apology for his comment earlier. The doors opens and the other kids hurry inside. Connor and Sixty sit to Conan's right, then Markus, North at the head of the table and Josh across from Markus with Simon then Daniel beside him. Kara and Jerry sit down, and then James and Jay take the seats directly across from Gavin and Conan with Ralph in front of Tina and Rupert at the other head of the table. Everyone pulls their bowls closer and digs into their mac 'n' cheese with content. 

"How's your knee?" Markus asks, tilting his head at Simon before taking a bite of his food and smiling at the taste. Hope was the best at making mac 'n' cheese. Simon answers with a shrug and North goes off with a billion little questions about if he broke a bone, the group of friends finding themselves bickering over the answers. Connor and Sixty had stolen Conan's attention and were rapidly explaining the intense game of tag that he had missed out on while Kara, Ralph, Rupert and Tina discussed the new flowers that had begun to grow. Jerry, James and Jay were talking about their own thing, in their own little magical world once again as Gavin sat in quiet, enjoying his mac 'n' cheese. He was happy that he was maybe making a new friend.


	3. Christmas Countdown | Day 3 | Reed900

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -(A/N)-
> 
> I have to do something for Christmas- it's a given! So, for the next 3 days until the 25th I'll be posting a little Christmas oneshot for a ship or a family to help you all get into the xmas spirit in a year that doesn't quite feel right!

Gavin hadn't come home expecting what he saw. He was planning on seeing his usual normal house in a half-tidy state, he expected on being able to sit on the couch and prop his feet up on the coffee table, he expected to he able to flick on the TV and disassociate for a while, but that isn't what he'd gotten. Instead, he came home to a house in a less-than-tidy state, the couch and coffee table were covered in cardboard boxes, and the TV remote was nowhere to be seen- probably trapped underneath the couch cushions. 

"Uh... Conan?" Gavin kicked off his shoes, hurrying towards the living room to get a closer look at whatever these boxes were, even though he had a burning feeling that he already knew and he didn't like it. "What the fuck is all this?" he grabbed tightly to a shiny red something, pulling it form the box and staring at glittery tinsel. Christmas decorations. His Christmas decorations that he hadn't touched in years and didn't plan on touching for a long long time yet.

"Oh, you're home!" Conan appeared from the kitchen with a grin and a red apron, a plate in his hands packed with Christmas cookies. "I think it's about time we put these Christmas decorations up, don't you? Connor and Dad have had theirs up for almost a month now!" Conan continued forwards, placing a kiss on a stunned Gavin's cheek and setting the tray of baked goods in the one open spot left on the coffee table. "So?" he asked, turning back to his boyfriend, his smile only faltering when he sees the look on Gavin's face. It's an odd cross between anger and sadness and maybe a little bit of fear. "Love? What's wrong?" Conan is quick to remove his apron, tossing it over the arm of the nearby chair and turning Gavin to face him. 

"I... haven't touched these in... a long time." Gavin drops the tinsel, his gaze shifting away. He hadn't celebrated Christmas- at least outside of a drink at some bar- for at least a decade. He'd let others, especially those in the precinct, celebrate as they pleased but it was never his thing ever since he and his family had their falling out. Understanding spread over Conan's features, and he frowned, pulling Gavin into his arms and placing a kiss on his head. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't think of that. I can put them away and we can-"

"No, no," Gavin shakes his head, "It's okay. I want to put them up with you." Conan pulled away again, and Gavin wanted nothing more than to hug him once more. His arms felt so safe, so warm, they felt like his mothers hugs and he missed that so terribly. He missed sitting with a cup of hot chocolate in front of a Christmas tree, tearing through colorful wrapping paper and grinning ear to ear.

"Are you sure? You don't have to if it's too much. We can start with something a little smaller, we don't have to go all at all at once." Conan held Gavin's face in his hands, his LED a swirling yellow and his brows creased to match his sad smile. He knew about Gavin's past- the Holiday spirit had been left behind with the negative memories of a mother and father favoring one son over the other. Gavin lets his own hand rest over Conan's, and he smile weakly. 

"I'd like to try..." Gavin had to pause and fight the urge to roll his eyes at how cheesy this sounded to him, "Making a new family. With you. Replacing those old shitty memories with good ones." as soon as the words left his mouth he knew they were the right things to say. Conan's face lit up, and the android visibly melted, Gavin pulling him into his arms and chuckling gently into Conan's shoulder as he mumbled a muffle 'I love you'. "So... where do we start?" Conan pulled away again, and anyone could mistake him for the Christmas tree with how bright he was glowing. 

"I was thinking the tree first, and then maybe we can string lights in the front windows?" Conan wrung his hands, his head taking on and adorable tilt and his small smile making his eyes crinkle gently in the corners. Gavin found his own grin widening at the sight of the man he called his boyfriend, and nodded his head. 

"Whatever you wanna do first, babe." The two set off. The tree was a fake one, one that had been tucked away in the basement for forever now and had gathered plenty of dust. Gavin had said it didn't bother him, but it sure did bother Conan. The thing was a piece of garbage, that was a fact, and Conan wouldn't stand for that. With a Christmas bonus in his wallet, he offered to buy Gavin a new, living Christmas tree and wouldn't let the human say no. That's how Gavin felt himself being wrapped up in a six foot long knitted scarf (made by Connor) being pushed out of the house and to the car in a rush. 

"I've yet to go Christmas tree shopping. I was working late the day my brother went, and I'm... I'm excited." Seeming almost bashful at the thought of being so into the act of Christmas, Conan's face sprung a gentle blue and he kept his gaze trained on the road. Gavin let out a laugh, taking one of Conan's hands off the steering wheel to trap within his own. 

"I'm excited too," He admits, "I forgot how nice this Christmas thing can be." The streets slipped by, Conan on route to the nearest place that sold real trees for decent enough prices. The place was bustling with the activity expected mere weeks from Christmas, and usually the sort of chaos would be borderline overwhelming but Gavin found himself enjoying the smiles and cheer. Two car doors clicked open and then slammed shut as Conan and Gavin exited the vehicle, rejoining one another in front of their car and linking hands yet again. a large archway covered in garland and Christmas lights towered over the two as they stepped into the enclosed space, rows and rows of Christmas trees of different heights and cuts sprawling out before them. Neither man knew exactly how to go about this, but they settled on making their way to the leftmost side of the tree emporium and scanning up and down the rows and rows until they spotted the perfect tree. "So," Gavin asked, glancing over at his boyfriend's calm little smile and glittering gaze, "How are you enjoying Christmas?" 

"It's so... happy." Conan's head falls, resting on Gavin's shoulder as the two continued to stroll down the first aisle of trees, "When I went deviant I knew happiness, I'd felt it, but this... this is almost too good to be true." Gavin chuckled, mussing Conan's hair gently and placing a kiss on his nose. They finished one aisle, and began walking the next. Almost immediately, Gavin came to a halt, scanning a tree up a down and jabbing Conan in the synthetic ribs with an elbow. 

"Hey, what about this one?" he hums, and Conan stops at his side. His LED goes yellow, blinking as he scans the tree. The android wasn't kidding when he said he'd find Gavin the best tree. 

"No, this one won't do. Look, it's already shedding needles- and the needles are too pale." Conan hardly tapped the tree and needle after needle dropped to the ground in a pile. Gavin hummed, clicking his tongue and nodding his head.

"Nice catch, Terminator." The two linked arms and their stroll progressed. "What's your favorite thing about this shitty Holiday so far?" Conan's head returned to rest on Gavin's shoulder, the android silent for a moment as he thought about everything he had seen and experienced so far. There was plenty to choose from- the gift giving was a top contender, and Conan has already bought plenty of gifts for his love. Decorating was interesting, and it was always satisfying to create something perfectly symmetrical and intricate in detail- he had transformed the precinct (with the help of Officer Tina Chen) and it had been a joy. However, he decided upon something else as his answer.

"The baking." Even though he himself could not eat, it was a wonderful feeling to see the way other's faces lit up at the sight of his baked treats. Cookies, cakes, brownies- he enjoyed it all, especially the organized chaos that would take over the kitchen when working with others. He liked the challenge of directing a team, and thought that the idea of baking with Gavin would be hilarious. "I like following the recipe, and decorating the sweets is nice." 

"Perfect- eating cookies just so happens to be my favourite part of Christmas." Gavin said in a cheeky tone, earning a roll of Conan's eyes and a chaste kiss. Maybe the kiss would have lasted longer of Conan hadn't spotted the perfect tree out of the corner of his ice blue eyes, breaking off with a sharp intake of breath and a wide grin. 

"Look!" he took Gavin's hand rather than his arm, and dragged the man alongside him as he approached the tree. "A concolor fir- They aren't often for sale, since they're so tall, but this one must be young. It's seven and a half feet tall, and the branches are firm and perfect for decorating." Conan was right. This tree was the one. The way the needles were placed made the tree look almost fluffy, a pale blue-green colour. The trunk looked sturdy and the tree looked perfectly healthy. 

"It's a beaut," Gavin smiled, "Now how do we get it home?" The words had hardly left his mouth when Conan was wrapping the tree in a hug, plucking it right off the ground and carrying it over one shoulder as if it were nothing. "Jesus fuck-" Gavin stumbled backwards and out of the way as Conan turned to him, the tree turning with him and almost colliding right against Gavin's face. "Watch it, Terminator!" he called, though his awe pushed away any annoyance one might have felt. Also, who could ever get mad at Conan? "What the fuck are you doing?"

"We have to bring it to the gate to be tied down," Conan tilted his head, and in the act of doing so he pushed his hair against the needles, catching a few within the dark locks. When his head righted once more Gavin couldn't help but burst into laughter. 

"Plastic Porcupine!!" He teased, still laughing away as he hurried forwards and began to pluck needles from his boyfriends hair. "Jesus, you're strong," Gavin huffed out a last bought of laughter, and then finally calmed himself with a breath of air he let out in a sigh. 

"And you love it," Conan smiles, twisting the tree so the needles brushed Gavin's face. The man sputtered as they poked at his mouth and nose, stumbling backwards a step and attempting to fix Conan with a glare- he failed, since more needles were clinging to the androids hair, sticking out in all directions and drawing out raucous laughter once more. Maybe Christmas wasn't as bad as Gavin had made it out to be. Maybe he'd just forgotten all the good that came with it.


	4. Christmas Countdown | Day 2 | SiMarkus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -(A/N)-
> 
> Today's little oneshot is for the lovely Simon x Markus. I am so in love with these two, and they deserve a little Christmas cheer! Merry Christmas Eve to those of you who celebrate, and I hope anyone who doesn't has a wonderful day!

Snow in Detroit was often dreadful, cold, icy flakes chilling the roads and the people of the city. Most saw the snow as a burden, but Simon did not. He loved the snow, taking in the sight of it as it glittered in the garden just outside of the window where he was sat. The chess table was just to his left, sitting halfway through a game he had played with Carl the day before. Simon pulled his thick blanket closer, fighting off the chill of the early morning as he waited for Markus to wake. He had plans for the two of them today, plans to bake Christmas cookies for Carl and Leo and plans to enjoy Christmas Eve as best as possible. 

"Mornin' Simon," A tired voice dances through the chilled air, and Simon's blue eyes shift to spot Leo himself, rubbing his hand over his tired eyes. Simon couldn't help but smile and the human returned the expression with one of his own. It was just about eight in the morning on a Saturday, and Leo usually slept in longer than this. 

"What wakes you so early?" The android asks, scooting over and patting the now-free spot on the bay window seat. Leo took the place gratefully, pulling the blanket over his legs. 

"Therapy," He huffs out, though he wore a light smile, "Time to spill my guts to a stranger yet again." Simon patted Leo's hand. 

"Miss O'Reily is hardly a stranger. Cookies will be nearly done by the time you return home." Leo's eyes brightened, and his grin grew wider as he registered what Simon implied. The cookie operation had been a secret until this very moment. Leo adored Christmas cookies, Simon was sure of it. "Me and Markus will be baking for you and your father all morning." 

"Awesome, thanks, Si," Leo jabs his elbow into Simon's arm in an affectionate manner, before glancing down at his cellphone and letting out a sigh. "I've gotta get going. I'll see you and the cookies later." Simon watched Leo stand and leave, waving at the boy one more time before he vanished out of view. Moments later, he was replaced by Markus wearing a sheepish grin. 

"Good morning, Beautiful," he greeted, crossing the room to wrap his arms around Simon and sit at his side. He ran his fingers gentle over his golden hair, brushing it away from his forehead and placing a soft kiss in it's wake. 

"Good morning, Love." Simon pressed his lips to Markus', bumping their noses together and wearing a goody smile. For a moment both androids simply sat, locked in one another's embrace and warmth. "Are you ready for some baking? I promised Leo I'd have cookies done for when he got home from therapy." Markus hummed, his blue and green eyes having fallen shut as he snuggled closer to Simon. 

"Not yet..." He sighs out, "Too comfortable." Simon chuckles, his hand resting on Markus' nape. He wasn't opposed to sitting together for a few more minutes. A gentle snow tumbled down from the sky, bringing a fluffy look to what already coated the grass outside. It was pleasant- it was Christmas. A few minutes passed and Markus finally stirred, resting his chin on Simon's shoulder and kissing his cheek. "I'm ready to get up now." He said, his voice like silk. Simon nodded. The two separated reluctantly, Simon shedding his blanket and following Markus into the kitchen. Baking materials sat all over the counter, flour and sugar and baking powder and soda and more. Simon had recipes in his mind that he'd already shared with Markus the night before, and both knew exactly what to do first. They got to work fluidly, both hovering around the kitchen island and picking out the ingredients they needed for gingersnap cookies, the first cookie flavor of many to come.

With caretaker programming coded into both of their synthetic minds, cookies are easy as pie, and the gingersnaps are done in a comfortable silence. Once the treats are in the oven, filling the air with a sweet aroma, Markus and Simon started on the dough for what they were baking next- Sugar cookies, cut into the shapes of little trees or stars or other Christmas objects. This time, they worked side by side, and began to chatter quietly amongst themselves as they did so.

"What magical thing do you have planned for tonight?" Markus glanced at Simon from the corner of his green eye, and Simon turned his head to better face him. He had only planned to look for a moment before returning to his mixing, but Simon grew distracted by the sight. A golden ray of growing sunlight slipped in through the window, landing on Markus' amber toned skin and that wonderful cinnamon dusting of freckles that speckled his face. His soft lips twitched up in the slightest smile as he spotted Simon staring, and in turn Simon's face began to glow a soft blue hue. 

"I, uh," Simon tried to find his words, and after a moment of furious stirring he did, "I was thinking we could watch a movie. There are a few 'Christmas Classics' that I remember my old family watching." Once Simon was pleased with the dough, he set his wooden spoon aside and dumped the bowl over to knead it with his own hands, "I'm sure Carl and Leo will know a few of them, and I was thinking of inviting North and Josh over to watch as well." 

"It's been too long since we've all spent time together." Markus hummed his approval as he overturned his own bowl holding a thickened batter identical to Simon's. The two began to knead in tandem. "I think a movie sounds great. I was also wondering if you wanted to take a walk with me into Greektown- I wanted to pick up a few gifts." Simon had almost missed what Markus said, growing distracted as he watched the methodical movements the man enacted. Simon snapped his gaze away, focusing on his own dough and cursing Markus for being a work of art. 

"That sounds nice," He said, "I think I'd like to buy a few things too." That same comfortable silence enveloped the room as the kneading continued. The two grew happy with the consistency, setting the dough aside just in time for the stove's alarm to go buzzing, notifying them that the gingersnaps were finished. "I'll get them." Simon offers, slipping on the fancy cotton and silicone mitts and pulling open the oven. He pulled out both cookie sheets, gazing upon the perfect cookies, a deep shade of umber, sparkling with minuscule granules of sugar. Simon set the trays down on the stove top, slipping off his oven mitts and watching as Markus grabbed a spatula to begin moving them from the pan to the cooling rack set at the stoves side.

"They're perfect," Markus notes, and then, with a warm smile, glances over at Simon, "Like you." Simon melts, and wonders yet again how Markus is so perfect. rA9, this android will be the death of him- if death could be brought on by loving someone too much.

"You're one to talk," Simon shoots back, stepping behind Markus to wrap his arms around his waist. He rested his head on the other androids shoulder, watching the cookies move from one tray to the next with ease. Once the cookies were transported, the two returned to the dough. Markus fetched two rolling pins, the cylinders a fancy grey marble. The two made quick work of flattening the dough to a perfect 1/4 inch thickness, and then the cookie cutters were brought out. There was an insanely wide selection, thirty or forty different shapes and sizes, more than Simon had ever seen in his life. "Have you ever used these before?" He asks as he selects one in a gingerbread shape. Markus chuckles, and shakes his head.

"Not once," He admits, "Carl bought them long before I was even given to him. I think this is the first time I've taken them out of the cupboard to actually use them." He himself picks up a square-shaped cutter with a little bow on the top- a present. Just as Simon pressed his cookie cutter into the dough, a familiar voice echoed out through the house, a robotic tone. 

[Welcome Home, Leo.]

Seconds later, the man in question appeared in the kitchen door with a smile. His eyes looked glassy, as if he'd been crying, which wouldn't come as much of a surprise. 

"Hey," He greets, still a little awkward around his adopted android brother, but he was making an effort and it warmed Simon's heart. "I smell cookies?" Leo invited himself into the kitchen, sliding into the stool on the opposite side of the island. He pushed a bag of flour to the side, propping his chin up on his hand. 

"You do," Markus nods, "Gingersnaps, and sugar cookies are on their way." The two androids began to cut shape after shape, switching out their cookie cutters after every few presses to keep a wide variety. "When these are done, do you... want to help us decorate them?" Leo smiled, relieved to be reassured he wasn't intruding. He desperately wanted to spend more time with Markus, but he knew there was tension and he didn't know where the line between keeping a respectful distance and being too pushy.

"Yeah, I'd love to." Leo and Markus shared a warm smile, and Simon knew it was about time for him to ruin the moment with his affection. 

"Awwwwww," He cooed, leaning his head on Markus' shoulder and smiling just as wide, "You two are getting along so greatly- It's a Christmas miracle!" Simon's words were met with one blue-faced android and one red-faced human along with a chorus of outrage. The last shreds of tension in the air around them evaporated in the sunlight, leaving only a merry joy and a growing affection. Gingersnaps cooled, sugar cookies baked, and icing was made- the day was growing with every minute, the beginning of a wonderful Christmas eve. Freedom was amazing- Freedom tasted like royal icing and fancy sprinkles. Freedom, Simon decided, tasted delicious.


	5. Christmas Countdown | Day 1 | The Anderson Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -(A/N)-
> 
> Merry Christmas/Holidays to all who celebrate, and I hope everyone who doesn't has a wonderful day <33 We needed some familial Anderson family fluff, and so here's this- Connor and Conan are new to Christmas this year, and Hank is more than happy to help them get used to it.

"Christmas!" Connor's eyes go bright at the thought of the Holiday. He was sitting on the sofa, Conan at his side and Hank leaning against the doorway into the kitchen. It was Christmas very very soon. The revolution had ended in the best way possible, and rights were in the process of being granted. Androids had been liberated, and now, Hank had brought up the topic of Christmas. Connor was almost buzzing. He knew plenty about Christmas. Alongside his social programming, he had been fitted with an intense knowledge about the grand majority of human things- Holidays included. He knew traditions, he knew how joyous it was supposed to be, and just the idea of it all was enough to make him smile that dazzlingly pleasant grin. Conan, on the other hand, was silent, eyes trained on the ground. He doesn't have that same knowledge. He doesn't have anything other than the most minimal idea of Christmas. 

"Kid, you okay?" Hank wears a grimace, his face pinched into a scowl as he takes in Conan's shrunken demeanor. "What's wrong?" Connor hadn't noticed the way Conan had deflated until Hank brought it to attention, and now the older of the two androids was wearing a concerned frown, brows drawn together.

"Of course I am," Conan forced out, his voice steady despite the tidal wave of emotions crashing through them. He still wasn't used to these feelings. Balling his hands together, Conan tried to keep a flat expression, masking the uncertainty he felt. "This is all very new to me, that's all." Hank let out a sigh, crossing the room to sit on the couch at Conan's side. One hand moved to res on his back, rubbing soothing circles that brought a faint smile to the androids face. 

"Try not to worry, Brother," Connor looped his arm around Conan's leaning his head on his shoulder and smiling brightly up at him, "Christmas is a lot of fun, we'll show you!"

"You're right, we will." Hank patted Conan's back with that fatherly love, his trademark half-smile crawling back over his face. "We'll put up my tree, get each other gifts- hell, we'll even wear some matching ugly sweaters!" Connor was grinning impossibly wider, giving Conan's arm an excited squeeze, though the android only seemed even more confused.

"Ugly sweaters? Why... why would we purposefully wear ugly sweaters?" At his words, both Connor and Hank broke out into fits of raucous laughter. Conan didn't understand as they laughed away, but he figured he must have said something amusing and so he smiled alongside them, enjoying the simple lightness of the room. Yes, he was confused, but they'd help him find his footing. He trusted them to do so.

\-----

The next morning, Hank held up his end of the deal. When Conan and Connor had emerged from stasis, something green and bristly lay scattered atop the couch. Conan had rapidly pieced together that it was a Christmas tree, a synthetic one that was reassembled by stacking one piece on top of the other. There were also boxes of Christmas ornaments, sparkling tinsel and yellow and rainbow lights. Conan was almost certain that the emotion he felt was excitement- it felt bubbly and warm in his chest, like carbonation spreading through his veins and heating him comfortably. 

"So, sons, where should we put it?" Hank's hands settled on his hips, and he wore a smile warmer than either android had ever seen. It was plain to assume he was reminiscing about old times, years long passed that may have been brighter than recent ones. Connor's face split in two with a smile, and he began to spout out idea after idea. 

"What if we put it here? Oh no, what about here!" He ran calculations in his mind, trying to discern what place was the perfect one- he took into concern convenience, as well as aesthetic and how easily the tree could be seen through the windows. At last, the three settled on moving the recliner in the far right of the room, putting the base of the tree there. Hank set down the first part of the tree, Connor the second, and Conan was left the place the tiny little bush that was the top. The placement could be seen as symbolic- Hank was the base, the main support. Without him, both Connor and Conan would most likely be deactivated somewhere in a Cyberlife warehouse. Connor was the center, stronger than Conan by infinite amounts, in an emotional sense of course. Conan was the top of the tree, the weakest part, the part that needed to be carried by the others. Maybe he was just overthinking things. 

"Here, Con," Hank pulled out a tangle of Christmas lights, extending them in Conan's direction with that same warm, reassuring smile he had been donning all morning. "Can you try to untangle those with your super brain? I got some for you too, Connor." Conan took the lights as Hank returned to pull out the second tangle, this time handing them to the shorter, older, brown-eyed twin. "How about I make us- er, me a hot chocolate and throw on some Christmas music?"

"Sure, Dad!" Connor was entirely focused on his tangle of lights, only pausing for a second to smile up at Hank before returning to furiously finding the end of the chord and weaving it through the rest of itself. Conan took a seat on the couch, doing the same thing with nimble fingers, and, yes, his super brain. He could analyze the entire path of the Christmas lights, and then, swift as a rabbit, thread it through itself with ease. He was finished untangling and coiling the string lights neatly in a matter of seconds. Connor was stunned, his smile never shifting as he hurried himself even quicker. He was done a minute later, his work just as neat, and just in time an annoying but pleasant tune began to sing through the air. Conan's LED went yellow as he very briefly scanned the music, finding all of the important information on the song.

All I Want for Christmas Is You

Maria Carey

Released: 1994

Recorded: August 1994

"Stupid fuckin' song..." Hank grumbled as he turned from his place by his record player, shaking his head as if disgusted by the music he himself had just put on. He held a mug in his hand, setting it on the coffee table and nodding his head in approval at the now-untangled lights. "Wanna get those up on the tree? Just wind 'em around, doesn't really matter how. I've never made the tree look nice." He chuckled to himself as Conan stood, and he and Connor began to drape the lights in the dust-covered branches. While Conan attempted to keep the lights evenly spaced, Connor was simply having fun with it, and once both boys were done winding their white and coloured strings around, plugging them into the outlet on the wall, it looked beautifully chaotic.

"We're good at this!" Connor chirped, his eyes still bright. His LED spun a happy blue and his pale-freckled cheeks glowed a faint contented indigo. "What next?" He spun on his heel, focusing on Hank, who reached down to pick up a large cardboard box of miscellaneous ornaments of all different colours, shapes and textures. It was set down on the couch, and Hank pulled out the first ornament. It was green, a simple sphere with crudely-done drawings made from white glitter glue that seemed to make out the shapes of a man and a child. 

"Is this Cole?" Conan asks, and then winces himself as he realizes he had spoken without thinking. He could think now, he needed to remember to think. Despite thinking he'd made a mistake, Hank only sighed, nodding his head. His smile got a little sadder, but it was still warm and loving.

"Yeah, he made it for me in his kindergarten class." Hank approached the tree, carefully hooking it on a sturdy branch and then taking a step away. Both Connor and Conan were still, eyes darting from Hank to the box of ornaments, hesitant to go poking through things that could be held so dear to his heart. "Come on, kids," He urges, and for once Conan is the first to move, though Connor does the same moments after. "It's okay, I promise. I'm happy to remember Cole with you two."

"Was he... Did he like Christmas?" The tension in the air had thickened, almost uncomfortable now. A silence threatened to strangle them all and so Connor broke it with that question. It seemed to help do the trick as Conan plucked a yellow wooden star on a thick string of twine. It had a little face drawn onto it, two dots for eyes and a big smile.

"Yeah, he loved it." Hank picked up his mug, taking a sip of the hot chocolate as Connor selected an ornament of his own. This time, it was a little candy cane made of beads on pipe cleaner. "I always made 'im chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast on Christmas morning, and then we'd make a big show out of opening his presents." Setting down his cup, Hank joined in on the decorating, pulling a blue bauble with white snowflakes from the box and moving to set it on the tree with the others.

"What gifts would you buy him?" Conan tilted his head, reaching for another ornament. The tension was easing as the three lost themselves in the motions, the small walk between the box and the tree and the box and the tree. It was growing more pleasant by the moment.

"He liked dinosaurs," Hank laughed, and right on cue Connor pulled out a little t-rex with a Santa hat on a string, "I would get him figurines, LEGO, anything like that. If it was dinosaur related he loved it." The conversations stayed pleasant, the tension evaporating, replaced by a warmth, a joy. Conan found himself with a smile on his face, much to his own surprise. He was void of that fear, that uncertainty he had felt he evening before, and he felt more certain than ever that he could enjoy Christmas with Connor and Hank- his Brother and his Father. Connor felt wonderful being part of a family, being there for both his Dad and hi Baby Brother when they both needed him. Conan and Hank were confused- one struggling with new feelings, one struggling with memories that might not be so painful anymore. Hank missed Cole every day, but now he was beginning to think that maybe it was okay to let himself be happy again. He would never forget Cole, but his little boy wouldn't want him to keep pushing hope and love away. He could find family again in the form of two androids, two lost kids in search of a father. 

Christmas was pleasant. It was supposed to be a nice time of year, a time of growing bonds and showing affections. Conan and Connor were finding their way with Hank as their guide. These new feelings, a wide, wide spectrum of both good and bad, were a lot to deal with, but Hank had been kicking emotions' ass for years and no one has more experience than him. The Anderson family will be happy again, happy for a long, long time to come. 

Merry Christmas, Sons.


End file.
